SICK, Snow, Sevilla, School, Staying

Normally I have to fight the kids to get this shot every time we fly out of Berlin

I normally don't do this. I normally don't write a huge, long-winded, single blog post to sum up an entire month but in this case I am.  It is far more representative of our lives than going back and retroactively filling in the blog.
Marty and I were SICK.  SO, so sick.  I have never been that sick in my entire life.  And as you can imagine it was not fun.   It started with a small cold over the month of December.  We both had it but it wasn't bad.  It was just a cold.  We got over it.  Then mid January Marty starts getting another cough which quickly turned into more flu like symptoms with a couple days of temps near 103.  We went to the Dr. who said it was a virus and the only way to get over it was just to really stop doing everything and rest.  There wasn't much choice, Marty could barely get out of bed.  And I may or may not have assumed he was just being a "man" about it and exaggerating his symptoms.  He called in sick 2 days in a row, which he NEVER does, so I knew it was somewhat serious.  In the end he missed 4 days of work.  As fate would have it a couple days after he came down with it, and long enough for me to roll my eyes a few times at him, I started feeling sick.  But I KNEW I could fight
this.  I would not go down the way he did.  Within 24 hours I was just as sick as he was.  I had a high fever for a couple of days, killer headaches and absolutely no appetite for anything other than throat lozenges, cough medicine and lots of Tylenol.  It was awful.  But I had an upcoming trip to Sevilla planned that I was very much looking forward to.  I debated emailing my friend, Ali, who was meeting me there and telling her that I just couldn't make it but I figured the worst was behind me and I would be fine once I got there.  Well, in a way, it was a big mistake.  I was not better.  Not by a long shot.  It was lovely to see my friend and to walk around one of my very favorite cities but most of the trip was a blur as I had absolutely no energy and most of my awake hours were completely hazed over by my tired, sick body and my head full of snot.

We did go on a couple walking tours which were very interesting and informative.  We had a couple delightful meals. I didn't get my sangria the way I had dreamt as it just never sounded good.  First clue I was REALLY sick when Spanish sangria doesn't sound good!  Ali was extremely patient with me.  Far more patient than I would have probably been had the tables been turned.    She flew back to London on Monday evening and I had one last night by myself before flying out very early on Tuesday morning.  So early in fact that the buses were barely up and running by the time I got to the bus station.  My alarm went off at 3:45 and I made it to the bus station for the first bus of the day at 4:30.  My flight took off for Berlin on time and I was back home in Zehlendorf by 11:30.  When I walked into the
apartment I flopped on the bed and broke out in tears.  I was so thankful just to be home.  But felt just miserable.  The next couple of days were a complete blur.  I know I didn't have the energy or strength to bike the kids to school or make dinner or really do anything.  My head was pounding and it hurt just to open my eyes.  Marty was getting better but still not even near 100% yet.  The kids became very self sufficient.  They biked to and from school solo.  They went to the grocery store.  They biked to pick up dinner for themselves and biked back and ate on their own and even cleaned up some of the time!  Friends would say, "oh, we've been sick too" or "sorry you have been sick" and I wanted to say - No, you clearly don't understand.  We aren't/weren't sick.  We are/were S.I.C.K!!  Like so super sick you have no idea how sick. Now who was exaggerating?

The weekend came again with fresh snow fall.  The kids were in heaven.  It was really the first time out for me in days as I biked with Josie to her Tae Kwon Doe belt test.  Benjamin and Marty were already there because Benjamin had soccer practice previously.  We watched the entire TKD team go through their belt test (nearly 3 lllloooonnngg hours on hard bleachers) but afterward celebrated being up and out with a late lunch at our favorite, local Vietnamese restaurant.

After nearly a year and a half of living in Germany I realized how devoid of color my life is here.
It is almost as if the German are afraid of color.
My eyes burned, in a good way, at all the beautiful colors in Sevilla. 

Later that afternoon we all had to go back to school for the 5th-8th grade musical.  Josie is in the choir ensemble and was part of the play.  Another couple hours of sitting but Josie did great and Benjamin loved seeing the play for his 2nd time.

Sunday we played Risk, which Benjamin is infatuated with at the moment.  We cleaned up the apartment a bit and the kids read for a couple of hours.  Then we hopped a train for a very nice evening out at Wannsee with our friends Luke and Juli and their kids Henry and Leo along with Anja and Kyle and their kids Maya and Rory.  We went on a 6km walk through the forest and although very nice it might have been a bit much for me on the heels of being so sick.  Juli made a fabulous meal with pure comfort foods and we all left satisfied with friendship and full bellies.

This was our celebratory treat after
making the decision to stay
another year. 

Yesterday I started taking intensive German language classes again.  My head is still not quite right and I have so much snot coming out of my nose it is embarrassing.  It is still the color of deli mustard and the consistency of paste.  I know I'm not even near back to 100% but classes begin when they begin.  This time it is a short bus or train ride away.  Or I could walk 45 minutes or when the weather is better and I have more energy I could bike 20 but so far I have taken the bus.  It is Tuesday through Friday from 9AM until 1PM with an hour or so of homework each night.  I like my new classmates and new teachers.  I am definitely rusty with speaking but am impressed that I can totally hold my own with understanding and answering simple questions when I know the context.  I plan to take either just this 5 week course and/or another 5 to make a total of 10 weeks.  I have 2 weeks to decide if I will continue with the second 5 week section.

I'm so German.  I bring along a little
sandwich and a thermos of coffee to
class each day. 

And last but not least.  Some of the most important news is that we are STAYING.  For another year at least.  We have had long conversations with each other and with each of the kids.  Benjamin wants to stay "at least 2 more years" Josie wants to return to Seattle because "her whole life is there"  After a few pro/con lists, several teary talks, a few outbursts and a lot of mutual understanding we all agree that we just aren't done here yet.  And this decision came just before we got sick.  Let me tell you, nothing makes you want to pack up and move "home" like being so sick and feeling so fragile and vulnerable.  But we know this is the right place for us for now.  The kids are thriving, the country is just very livable (apart from the bitchiness and directness we encounter from some Germans nearly every day) the school is really the biggest reason we can't leave along with all of the amazing opportunities that living in Europe gives us.  Just after deciding to stay we found awesome renters who will rent our West Seattle home for the next academic year and we plan to come home for all of July and the first part of August.

So, phew!!  That is our January in one long blog post.  Hoping as February begins in brings with it renewed energy and complete healing for Marty and me and that the kids don't get it.  And that we try to find ways to enjoy the cold, dark, winter days.

Happy New Year

Our LOONGG drive back from Krakow was mostly non eventful, just the way we like it.  The kids played Uno for a lot of the time, read books, listened to music.  They don't do screen time anymore after one too many backseat barfing episodes from Benjamin because he often gets car sick if he is looking at his screen while driving.  Trust me, there was enough barfing going on in this car by me the couple days before 😳

We decided to stop in Cottbus for dinner and because we have so rudely been turned down by our favorite German restaurant there so many times in the past we had a back up plan but just had to give it one more go and see if we could get in.  Despite the fact that it has been nearly empty each time we have gone, the Kartoffelkiste has become our Seinfeld

version of the Soup Nazi.  "No room for you!!"   Lo and behold, they had room this time, but barely. They always look at you pained as if to say "why in the world did

you come in here?"  Customer service is lacking in Germany but particularly in Cottbus!
We ate and drank and were all happily full for our hour-ish ride home to Berlin.  But since the ice cream place was still open we all mustered up the energy and stomach space for some ice cream. 

When ice cream (a HUGE scoop) is only 1.20 € a piece, you gotta make room.
We arrived home, all exhausted and plopped into bed.
The next day we had to return the rental car.  We very much love living without a car. 

The kids got to pick 2 beverages for NYE and NY day
They were thrilled with coke and Vio bio lemon/lime. 

But when we have access to a car we try to do a bit of stocking up, particularly with liquids.  I never really thought about this before because I always had my car when shopping but liquids are so heavy and hard to transport on foot or on bike.

We got up early and hit the drink store and the grocery store and mostly stocked up on liquids before returning the car.  And because it was New Years Eve and we didn't want to be out in crazy Berlin on NYE we decided to eat lunch out instead of dinner.  We hit our favorite Indian restaurant and the grocery store (because everything is closed on New Year's Day) While at the grocery store Marty and Benjamin notice a HUGE firework display right in the grocery store.  Huge packs of what look like dynamite 6 sticks for 5 € or something crazy cheap.  Huge packets with dozens of fireworks for under 20€.  I wouldn't have probably noticed these last year because back then I had NO

idea how crazy the Berliners actually get on NYE.  Benjamin, being the little pyromaniac that he is, begged and begged for just some "quiet" ones.  He knows that Josie and I hate the sound and always feel badly for pets and vets on 4th of July.  We got 3 bottle rocket types and he was thrilled.
We made it home and waited for it to get dark, which this time of year doesn't take much past noon.  No, in all seriousness the sunset on Dec 31st at 4:00PM (the days are getting longer, ha!) So we walked to a nearby park around 5PM and let them off.  They were quiet and pretty and everyone was happy.  Although Benjamin was now wishing we had bought the larger party pack!

 For dinner the kids wanted "snacks" no dinner, just snacks.  So I made homemade salsa and guacamole.  Loads of cut up vegetables and ranch dip. Fruit, crackers, cheese, etc.  Everyone was happy.
We played some games and then Marty and I went to bed and the kids stayed up to watch a movie.  We knew full well we would be woken up at midnight.  This wasn't our first time to this rodeo.  Last year we were in utter shock and disbelief and how the Germans (over) celebrate this holiday.  It is a virtual war zone with fire works and explosions, as if you are at the foot of a professional firework display for their finale

Salsa! I love salsa and even though I hate having
to make it every time I want it because Berlin
does NOT do salsa I so savor it each and every time
that I do. 

that ends up lasting 90 minutes!  All right from our sleepy little corner of Berlin.  I cannot imagine what it must be like in the city center!
And that is a wrap.  Goodbye to 2018. Hello 2019!  Hoping for continued health, more peace and much traveling in the new year.